A quieter west Michigan alternative for kings and steelhead near Whitehall.
When the Muskegon and Pere Marquette are shoulder to shoulder, the White River offers kings and steelhead with more room to breathe. It runs from Hesperia down toward Whitehall and Montague.
Chinook run in September and October. The White gets a real run without the crush of its famous neighbors.
Fall and spring steelhead follow, making the White a solid year-to-year option for anglers who value elbow room.
Wade and float both work. Hesperia Dam is the upstream limit for migrating fish, and the water below it concentrates the run. Standard spawn, beads, and flies produce.
Hesperia (below the dam), Pines Point in the Manistee National Forest, and Taylor Road are the main access points.